Carnivore (9): Deception

In the deathly silence, Qi Si suddenly let out a scoff: "What are you thinking? Do you really believe that with your current strength, you could lay a hand on anyone?"

"Even if you did use some method to control some poor soul, do you think Yang Yundong would let you off? From my observations, he has quite a strong sense of justice and wouldn't tolerate a black sheep in the group."

"What's more, you can't even be certain that what A-Xi wants to eat is human flesh. Wouldn't it be ridiculous to take such a risk only to find out your initial assumption was wrong?"

Zhao Feng's state of mind was tossed to and fro by Qi Si's words, fluctuating between certainty and defeat until he had no temper left.

He irritably scratched his messy hair and asked, "Then what do you suggest I do?"

"Aren't you a human yourself?" Qi Si asked back with a smile.

The point was made, yet the implication was clear; whether to listen or not depended entirely on Zhao Feng's choice.

And Zhao Feng knew clearly that he no longer had any room for choice.

If he targeted others and was discovered, he would become a target for everyone; and waiting for Yang Yundong to find a solution was like trying to put out a fire with water from a distant well...

In reality, he was a Celestial Master who knew many ways to deal with the eerie, and he had cleared his first dungeon relying purely on brute force.

After discovering that he could steamroll even Western-themed dungeons with his methods, he naturally chose to stick to his old ways, deciding to strike first the moment he saw A-Xi.

Little did he know that the Eerie Game played dirty, establishing the rule that "ghosts cannot be killed by forces from outside the village"...

In the morning light, Qi Si kept a faint smile on his lips, waiting with composed ease for Zhao Feng to make his decision.

And tragically, Zhao Feng did indeed make the choice that was expected.

He gritted his teeth, gripped the blade in his right hand, and sliced into his left arm. Blood sprayed out, and a piece of flesh was forcibly carved away, falling to the ground along with the beads of sweat on his forehead.

Clenching his teeth, he tore a strip of cloth from his clothes to bandage the wound on his left arm, then carefully picked up the flesh that had fallen to the ground and tucked it into his pocket.

After finishing all this, he reluctantly tore off another small piece of cloth and sluggishly wiped the blood-stained blade.

It was hard enough to get his hands on a weapon-type item; although it was just a blade with no special effects, it would be a lie to say he wasn't attached to it.

Who knew what situations he would encounter in future dungeons? Without something sharp on his person, it would be inconvenient to do anything.

Qi Si watched Zhao Feng's actions, noting that his perfunctory attitude was too obvious, and the thoughts behind it were not hard to guess.

He looked at the latter's rough fingers and smiled lightly: "You keep the blade for now; return it to me when the dungeon is about to end."

How could there be such a good deal in this world? Zhao Feng was stunned, then his eyes filled with suspicion: "Aren't you afraid I'll keep it and not return it?"

Qi Si pretended to count on his fingers: "First of all, I'm actually a bit of a germaphobe. To be honest, I don't really want things you've touched anymore."

"You motherf—" Zhao Feng couldn't help but curse, but the rest of the words were choked off in his throat.

Qi Si continued unhurriedly: "Secondly, I am a formal member of the Sariel Guild. I believe you aren't stupid enough to offend me over a blade with no special effects."

As a player entering a dungeon for the second time, Zhao Feng naturally knew what the Sariel Guild meant.

That was one of the top three major guilds, active since the very beginning of the Eerie Game, gathering thousands of veteran players and possessing an impressive stockpile of items.

Moreover, many of those people were lunatics who killed on sight, the type who held grudges and were fiercely protective of their own.

So "Chang Xu" was a member of the Sariel Guild? No wonder he could calmly state those amoral conclusions; this was clearly an extension of the Sariel Guild's philosophy. No wonder he seemed so detached from the crowd when he first entered the dungeon—he probably viewed the other players as dead men walking...

Zhao Feng subconsciously began to recall everything since entering the dungeon, and the more he thought, the more reasonable it seemed, his gaze toward Qi Si filled with trepidation.

Being accepted by the guild after clearing the first dungeon meant he either had extraordinary personal ability or an extremely deep background... someone not to be trifled with!

"Finally, I want to convey my goodwill through this action to show my intention to cooperate."

Qi Si raised a hand to touch the lanyard of the necklace on the back of his neck; the [Rose Heart] item on his chest emitted a warm, non-scorching heat, signaling that the item's effect was active.

"Zhao Feng, you are ruthless enough and decisive enough. To be honest, I am very interested in you, and I believe our guild leader would be as well. If our cooperation is pleasant, I will recommend you."

As soon as these words were spoken, Zhao Feng's breathing quickened, the joy in his eyes impossible to suppress.

He himself didn't have much of a moral compass, and although he had once denounced the Sariel Guild on the forums for farming experience, deep down, how could he not yearn for them?

For a behemoth of this level to extend an olive branch to him was something he wouldn't even dare to dream of.

As long as he could join Sariel, he wouldn't be isolated and helpless when entering dungeons in the future, and he could even act recklessly under the guild's banner...

Everything felt like a dream, and Zhao Feng still couldn't quite believe it, asking in a murmur: "Are... are you really from Sariel?"

Qi Si didn't answer, his expression unchanged as he reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out a black ring carved with a butterfly, and tossed it in front of Zhao Feng.

This ring was something he had swiped from Liu Ajiu; he had kept it on him just in case. He hadn't worn it on his finger for fear of being matched into a dungeon with other Sariel members unexpectedly.

At a time like this, this little trinket came in handy.

Seeing the ring, Zhao Feng no longer had the slightest doubt about Qi Si.

Only Sariel possessed the complete technology to manufacture items that could be brought into dungeons.

The black ring was undoubtedly a product of Sariel, and the possibility of a newcomer obtaining a Sariel product through other channels was slim to none.

It couldn't possibly be a trophy looted from killing a Sariel member, could it?

With things having reached this point, Zhao Feng became uncharacteristically insecure: "Brother Chang, why choose to cooperate with me? When it comes down to it, I'm just a bit bolder and have seen more ghosts, but I have absolutely no dungeon experience..."

Then he saw the young man who claimed to be a Sariel member look disappointed, shaking his head with a sigh: "I had thought that with your intelligence, you would have figured it out."

"At the first death point last night, Lu Keliang's indirect cause of death was failing to compete for the God Meat. The zero-sum game nature of this dungeon has already begun to emerge. You, Yang Yundong, and Allen have all triggered events to find meat for NPCs. I believe there will only be more such situations in the future, and the amount of meat we need to provide will only increase."

"The amount of meat one can cut from their own body is limited, and the decline in combat effectiveness caused by cutting meat is also plain to see. In the long run, new disputes will inevitably arise, and we will have to choose a scapegoat to satisfy the NPCs' requirements."

"After all, sacrificing individual interests for the survival of the group is a convention established by human society. Coercing the individual for the collective, and using the future of the race to justify immediate atrocities, is what they call 'justice' and 'morality'."

Zhao Feng subconsciously followed Qi Si's line of thought, and the more he pondered, the more it made sense.

One of the reasons he had always been timid, afraid to openly make choices that violated universal values, was simply the fear of being subjected to moral blackmail and pushed out by other players as a sacrifice.

Watching Zhao Feng's expression shift from confusion to resolve, Qi Si smiled indifferently: "I can tell that you are the same kind of person as I am. You aren't one of those fools willing to sacrifice yourself for the sake of the majority, easily coerced or deceived by illusory honors and accolades."

"During the first three beginner instances, everyone's strength is roughly the same. As long as we eliminate the few strongest players and establish an absolute numerical advantage, we can decide the life or death of anyone and dictate a new set of 'rules for sacrifice'."

"Yang Yundong and Allen have already formed a stable alliance, and I trust they would not agree with my philosophy. Therefore, you are the only one I can conspire with."

The evil entity hiding among humans wore a human skin, its eyes filled with cold, mocking laughter: "Of course, as it stands, I am also the only one willing to help you find a way to get past A-Xi."